Ten Songs
by Mokusan
Summary: Each chapter contains ten ficlets written to ten songs. Featuring characters Kirk, Spock, Chekov, and Sulu, among others.
1. Round 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

This was written for a fic meme, the rules for which I have listed below. These are unedited, so please excuse any typos, errors in canon, etc. This was fun to do, and I hope you enjoy reading it!

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.  
2. Put iTunes or equivalent media player on random.  
3. For each song that plays, write something related to the theme you picked inspired by the song. You have only the time frame of the song: no planning beforehand: you start when it starts, and no lingering afterward; once the song is over, you stop writing. (No fair skipping songs either; you have to take what comes by chance!)  
4. Do 10 of these, then post.

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**1. "Star" – Bryan Adams**

The salt drifted down from its shaker and onto the slick table below. He sat alone, bloody and battered, among several shot glasses and red splattered tissues that were all his. The presence of Commander Pike still lingered across from him, like a ghost that wouldn't quite leave. Jim knew all about ghosts. Although he would have ignored his words on any other occasion, there was something about what Pike had said that stuck with him, that wouldn't leave Kirk alone. What was he doing here? What was stopping him?

**2. "Strawberry Fields Forever" – Across the Universe (Beatles)**

The gas hit Chekov first. It sent him into a fit of laughter, giggling with enough force to knock him out of his chair. Sulu watched with a mixture of horror and amusement, for although there was something terrifying about poisonous gases, the sight before him was one of a kind.

"Captain," Sulu began, slowly tearing his eyes away from the fallen ensign to look at Kirk. "Captain," he repeated, "I think you may want to call Mr. McCoy to the bridge!"

Captain Kirk muttered something about strawberries as he drew invisible pictures in the air with his fingers.

"… Maybe I should call Mr. McCoy to the bridge…"

**3. "Yakko's World" - Animaniacs**

Geography had never been his best subject, and the grumbles of Bones beside him was _not_ helping. It wasn't his fault that the only map he had downloaded on his PADD was incomplete and written in Vulcan… and of a different planet entirely.

"Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a geographer!" Bones grumbled as he unrolled a paper map.

**4. "Invincible" – Muse**

For the first time in what felt like years, Kirk could breathe. He could breathe and he could smile, because although Vulcan was gone and Spock's mother was dead, they had saved Earth and Pike was going to be okay, and damn breathing felt good.

All of a sudden, he couldn't stop laughing.

It came in one sudden burst, forcing him to lean against the nearest console as tears slowly leaked from his eyes. Spock simply raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps you should be escorted to the sickbay," he said slowly. His face was passive, but Jim thought that maybe there was a hint of confusion hidden in his somber eyes.

"Nah, Spock, I'm okay," he said as he wiped away the last of his tears, laughter swelling beneath his every word. "Just relieved, you know?"

"Relieved?"

"We survived, Spock. We're alive."

**5. "One Love" – Playing For Change**

They were racist bastards and Jim wanted nothing more than to kill them. He wanted to take the nearest chair and bash it over their heads and punch and kick and bite and tear until they were a bloody mess on the floor. It was one thing to hate him – that he could deal with, it was nothing new – but it was another matter entirely when someone messed with his crew. Now was not the time nor place, however, and it was only with immense self-restraint that he could force himself to look away.

"Are you all right?" Jim asked, turning to face his first officer with a carefully guarded expression.

"I am not injured," Spock answered in his usual neutral tones. "We should return to the Enterprise soon, Captain."

"Spock." There was an edge to his voice now as he stared down the Vulcan with a heavy gaze. "I asked if you were all right."

"I told you, Captain, I suffer from no injuries."

"Damn it, Spock! That's not what I mean!" Jim banged his fist down on the table. "Those bastards just

**6. "We Used To Be Friends" – The Dandy Warhols**

Spock watched Jim and his other self from a distance. Their actions were stiff and unsure, even if neither would admit it, but he had faith in them. Although he had to remind himself that they were different people, that even his younger self would never be the same person that he was, they were so similar it was uncanny.

A wave of sadness washed over him. He had lost Jim many years ago, and though his heart had since healed as much as a heart could, it sometimes hurt to see this world's Jim. The way they moved, the way they thought – it was all so similar, all so different. It made Spock lose himself in the past, to better days when they had both been young and it was their duty to do the undoable.

**7. "Crash" – Papa Roach**

He felt like a failure. An utter and absolute failure.

Bones stared down at the bed before him. It was empty now, but to him it was full – full of death and despair, destruction. He had lost patients before, even more once he had joined Starfleet. But this was different. He should have been able to save him, no if's, and's, or but's about it.

Should have. Should have.

But he hadn't.

He took a swig from the bottle of Vulcan-knew-what and kept staring at the empty bed. It was still warm from the body.

"Jim."

**8. "Learning to Breathe" – Switchfoot**

Spock had been wary at first. This was, after all, the same man that had compromised his captaincy in a time of great crises, the same man that had fought him and insulted him and held a heavy hatred of him. But this was also the same man that had saved his life, that had saved the planet, that had somehow accepted his nomination as first officer of the USS Enterprise.

Jim surprised him in many ways. He was a quick thinker and much smarter than anyone bothered to give him credit for. Most of the time he knew what he was doing, even if he didn't, and Spock admired his choice in close comrades. He was perhaps most surprised, however, when Jim called him friend. Spock raised an eyebrow but Jim just laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

Friend. He could do that.

**9. "Go The Distance" – Lucas Grabeel**

He had always been teased as a child – well, when he was younger. He supposed that he was still a child, even if his intellect often proved otherwise. He was silly, yes, but that was just him and had nothing to do with his age.

Starfleet had seemed wary, at first. He had graduated high school at the age of fourteen and was ready to move on with his life – on some level Chekov felt that his being Russian might have something to do with it – but they didn't seem to think he was ready. He wasn't prepared for the real universe, they said; they couldn't send a _child_ into space.

But he could do it, if given the chance. He knew he could.

**10. "All Summer Long" – Kid Rock**

Sulu was telling Chekov about his first date. The bridge was relatively quiet, they were right on course, and it seemed like one of those hey, why not moments he was ever so fond of. Telling stories to Chekov, however, wasn't always the best idea. Sulu should have known better.

"So we're at this little café, and this girl –"

"Was she pretty?"

"Well, yeah. Anyway, she's standing in line –"

"Where were you?"

"I'm getting there! _Anyway_, She's standing in line and I'm right behind her, getting really nervous because she's really, uh, pretty, and I'm trying to work up the nerve –"


	2. Round 2

**1. "Dream A Little Dream of Me" – The Mamas and the Papas**

They twirled across the dance floor, their movements fluid and precise. The stars twinkled in the holographic ceiling as a slight breeze swept through the window from open windows. Kirk pulled Uhura a little closer and smiled, meeting her eyes with his.

"Not bad for a southern hick that only sleeps with farm animals, am I?" he teased, giving her a quick spin.

"Not bad," she agreed as they came together again. "You know, becoming a Starfleet captain in three years is really quite impressive."

"I think convincing Mr. Spock to let me dance with you is the most impressive thing I've ever done."

**2. "Bad Time (To Be In Love)" – Grand Funk Railroad**

For all the grief she had caused him, Leonard McCoy still loved his wife. His ex-wife.

He took a swig from the bottle.

Joining Starfleet had been his only means of escape, because he couldn't stay in that town, not when she was still around, and he didn't have anywhere else to go. He figured that, in space at least, he could get away from her, maybe even forget her if it came to that. But three years had passed, he was the Chief Medical Officer of the starship Enterprise, and somehow she kept sneaking up on him. He couldn't forget her. He still loved her.

**3. "The Joker" – Steve Miller Band**

Kirk knew he had a reputation; he also knew that it was not a particularly good one. It never seemed to bother him, however, and he carried about his business with a swagger in his step. It didn't matter what Starfleet thought of him, despite being Captain of the Enterprise, and it definitely didn't matter what the people of Earth or any other planet thought of him. No, there were only two groups of people that Jim concerned himself with: his crew and girls.

**4. "New Divide" – Linkin Park**

Sulu sat on the edge of the transporter pad, leaning against the wall as he attempted to catch his breath. Jim was standing beside him, but he could not summon the strength to look at him – instead he stared at the console straight ahead, willing away the dark thoughts that swirled inside his brain.

They had been standing right there as it dropped. Despite their best efforts, and although they had technically accomplished their mission, they had still failed for Vulcan was gone, their species was now endangered, and somehow the universe was a much darker place.

He blinked at the hand that appeared before him, eyes trailing off to meet Kirk's grim face. Sulu took the offered hand and hauled himself to his feet. They stood there a moment, hands clasped in an hold that gave one another strength. They had lost a planet, but they still had each other. People had survived and they would carry on, no matter how long it took their hearts to heal.

That would have to be enough.

**5. "Back In The Saddle" – Aerosmith**

This, Kirk realized, was why he liked being captain so much.

He stepped onto the bridge with his crew and lowered himself into his chair, leaning slightly to his right. There was something rich about the bridge just before a mission, a sort of tingling sensation that shot up his spine and addled with his brain. It was a strange mixture of nerves and adrenaline, a giddy sort of feeling that he couldn't get enough of. As the rest of the crew filed in to take their stations, he couldn't help but grin. He tapped his fingers against the arm of the chair and took in a deep breath. The Enterprise was ready.

**6. "Intergalactic" – Beastie Boys**

"He is more of a captain than you'll ever be!"

"He's a no-good, show-off that needs to learn his place!"

"He knows his place, and it's nowhere you'll ever know!"

"He is a child, along with the rest of his crew."

"We may be children, _Sir_, but we know what we're doing."

"You nearly lost an entire planet trying to save each other's skin!"

"You don't understand, Sir. You don't understand."

**7. "Carry On My Wayward Son" – Kansas**

Chekov muttered in frustration and banged a fist on the table. The glass board stood before him, mocking him with infinite calculations, all written in his indecipherable scrawl. No matter how many times he reworked them, they all lead to the same answer: he should have saved but because of him she was dead.

It took him a long moment to realize there was someone in the doorway.

It took him a moment longer to realize it was Spock.

The Vulcan studied the young Ensign carefully, even as the Russian chose to stare at the floor rather than meet his gaze. It had never been a problem before – Spock respected Chekov's intelligence and age had never been an issue, and in return Chekov had respected him. Now, however, Spock was sensing something more.

"Is there something wrong?"

"N-No, sir, just… frustration," Chekov muttered, still not willing to so much as look in the first officer's direction.

"It would be unwise to lie, Ensign." Spock's voice held a certain edge to it now that made Chekov finally look up.

"It is… I am sorry, Sir."

Spock considered that Chekov might be apologizing for more than a simple lie.

**8. "All Along The Watchtower" – Bob Dylan**

It was not the first time Uhura had questioned the morality behind Starfleet's orders, and it would not be the last. For the most part she agreed with their motives – the Federation was a peaceful organization, after all,

**9. "I Want It All" – HSM3**

"We could have it all, Bones. You, me, a crew, a ship, and the stars."

"You're drunk, Jim."

"No'm not! Think about it – we could be _famous_. I'll be captain, you'll be my first officer, and it'll be _awesome_."

"You're drunk, Jim."

"…"

"Besides, _I_ would be captain. And chief medical officer. You can be an ensign."

"Excuse me? An ensign? Me, James Tiberius Kirk, an _ensign_. Bones, _you're_ drunk."

"Fine. We'll both be captain. Co-captain."

"I get the chair."

"We'll have two chairs, Jim. _Two_."

"'Kay."

"It'll be the best damn ship _ever_."

"Ever? In the world?"

"In the universe, Jim. The _universe_."

"Yeah. That'll be pretty damn awesome."

**10. "The Times They Are A-Chaning" – Bob Dylan**

It was hard to believe that he'd been named captain of the starship Enterprise thirty years ago. His hair was grayer, and he felt just a bit older, just a bit stiffer, but he was still Captain Kirk, no matter what the banner above the doorway said. His crew – his former crew – milled about the room, drinks in hand. The atmosphere was happy and jovial, melded with a strong sense of sadness that Jim couldn't quite shake.

His eyes wandered over each of member of his crew, studying them a moment in turn, before they gently closed. He would no longer be venturing though space, but the Enterprise would always be his home, and his crew would always be his family. That was, perhaps, the one thing time could not change.


	3. Round 3

Yeah, I wrote more! I'm not sure how I feel about these yet. Thank you so much for your feedback and reviews! I didn't think anyone would read these, haha. I'll keep writing more, so if you have any requests or suggestions that I could focus on, feel free to mention them! I'm open to just about anything!

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**1. "(Can't Get My) Head Around You" – The Offspring**

The first time Kirk saw Spock was during his orientation to Starfleet. He had been a pointy-eared bastard even then, and quite frankly Kirk wanted nothing to do with him. But it seemed that Spock could not be avoided – he saw him nearly everywhere it went. Figures that he would be the one to take him to trial.

**2. "Kiss The Girl" – The Little Mermaid**

George watched the blonde woman from his seat. He supposed that on some level it was kind of creepy, but she was pretty and his old girlfriend had just dumped him and oh shit she was coming over. He quickly swallowed and took a long sip of his drink as she sat on the stool beside him.

"So," she began casually, a knowing smirk teasing her lips. "Starfleet, huh?"

"Yeah," he said, turning to give her his full attention. "Third year." He paused. "Uh, I'm George. George Kirk." He held out a hand for her to shake, grinning for the first time in what felt like years.

"Winona."

**3. "What Do You Do" – Papa Roach**

Kirk had always been impressed with Bones. It wasn't that he had taken his divorce in stride, that he'd faced his fears and joined Starfleet. No, Kirk always found himself in awe of McCoy's ability to _deal_. It was no easy task being Chief Medical Officer, especially in the heat of battle when there were more Ensigns to care for than there were beds in the sickbay, when he had to risk his own life to save the lives of others – when he had to choose who would live and who would die, because sometimes there just wasn't enough time, not enough resources to save everyone.

And somehow even Bones managed to be okay.

Maybe that was why he drank, maybe that was why he was always so cranky and so pushy. But if that's what it took to cope, Kirk was okay with it, even if it meant taking one too many hyposprays to the neck.

**4. "Landing in London" – 3 Doors Down**

He had been prisoner for three days, nine hours, and forty-seven minutes.

Forty-eight minutes.

Forty-nine minutes.

Briefly, he wondered how long they would persist in hitting him before they realized such a course of action was fruitless and therefore illogical. Plus, it really, really hurt. It had been a routine mission on a planet the Federation had believed to be uninhabited. They were collecting samples of the local plant life when Spock had discovered just how mistaken the Federation had been. He wished it had been under better circumstances.

Spock found that the more he focused on the Enterprise and its crew, the easier the pain was to bear.

**5. "I'd Come For You" – Nickelback**

Sulu's mouth was pulled into a thin line, doing his very best to keep his breakfast in his stomach. The sight of blood never made him queasy, but usually he wasn't looking at the blood of his best friend, dripping over the edge of his bed in the sickbay as McCoy scrambled to save his life. Somehow, Sulu felt that this whole mess was his fault.

He hadn't meant what he said – that Chekov was nothing more than an annoying _child_ and didn't belong on the Enterprise if he was only going to make a fool of himself and couldn't be serious. Because Chekov wasn't annoying, most of the time, he was smarter than hell, and he was a kid and entitled to act like that on ocassion.

If Sulu had only been there, he could have done something. Stopped it. Saved him. Something.

**6. "Ladies' Choice" – Hairspray**

Spock resisted the urge to sigh as Jim bounced to the nearest female, his demeanor changing before his very eyes. It was sometimes quite exasperating to watch his _Captain_ flirt with every alien woman, even while they were on diplomatic missions. Or scientific missions. Or any mission. Uhura had assured Spock that it was natural behavior, especially for Jim, but if he did not have control of his emotions, he was sure he would be quite annoyed.

Jim watched the alien girl walk away and returned to his first officer with a bounce in his step. He eyed Spock a moment before a sly smirk tugged at his lips.

"Jealous, Spock?"

His first officer decided it was as good of time as any to fall deaf.

**7. "Beat It" – Fall Out Boy (cover)**

Kirk had not thrown the first punch, but he had certainly thrown the second. What had started as a simple shore leave bar brawl had turned into a full-out war. He could not remember what planet they were on – hell, he couldn't even remember which quadrant of the galaxy they were in, or why the fight had started at all. What he did know was that he was not going to lose, and that, if given the chance, Uhura could kick ass.

He ducked a kick and punched someone in the stomach, only to be elbowed from behind. Kirk turned to face the offender, but the alien had disappeared and Spock stood in his place; had he not known any better, he could have sworn the Vulcan was fuming.

"I request that you refrain from assaulting the Captain."

**8. "Scream" – HSM3**

The stars seemed especially distant, twinkling indifferently against a wild expanse of black. Vulcan was gone, as was his mother, though not without the sincerest effort to save them both. It did not seem to matter that he had control of his emotions – they bubbled to the surface, regardless, and he felt consumed by rage and sorrow. What was he supposed to do without his home, without the one person who had understood him… who had _loved_ him?

Spock screamed.

**9. "Side of a Bullet" – Nickelback**

"You've made your last mistake."

"Jim, lower the phaser before you kill somebody."

"You didn't hear me. You've made your last mistake. And don't call me Jim."

"All right… _Captain_, lower your phaser before I call security."

"There won't be time for that, I'm afraid."

The man crumpled to the ground, dead. Jim's phaser slipped from his fingers and landed on the body, which he promptly stepped over as he left the room. He had just killed a man. Mostly likely he would be arrested within the hour, but somehow Jim didn't care. A sweet sort of vengeance swelled up inside him – it didn't matter what happened next. The rest of his crew was dead and he had gotten his revenge. There was nothing left.

**10. "Citizen Soldier" – 3 Doors Down**

It was always nice to go somewhere where the people hadn't heard of them, where they did not expect them to be exceptional in every meaning of the word. Not that they slacked on their duties – Kirk made sure that hid crew, including himself, always performed to the best of their abilities. But there was something almost thrilling about blending in with the people of an alien planet, no matter how alien they might seem themselves. There was something about being an ordinary person and doing ordinary things that made the universe seem just a bit smaller, just a bit less lonely.

And when danger did strike, they were reader, phasers set on kill and determination heavy in their eyes. They would protect whatever people they had adopted for that particular mission, no matter the cost.


End file.
